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Corticotropin-Releasing Factor receptor 1 (CRF1) antagonism in patients with alcohol use disorder and high anxiety levels: effect on neural response during Trier Social Stress Test video feedback
Plain-language guide to PMID 36564531 (2023): double-blind randomized controlled trial study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 39 individuals.
Key Facts
- PMID
- 36564531
- Journal
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Year
- 2023
- Study type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Authors
- Lee MR et al. (6 authors)
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41386-022-01521-z
What This Study Did, in Plain Language
What Was Tested
The paper reports a study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone), published as a randomized controlled trial.
In preclinical models of alcohol use disorder, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor is upregulated, particularly in the extended amygdala.
This upregulation is thought to play a role in stress-induced relapse to drinking by a mechanism that is independent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Who Took Part
The abstract describes 39 individuals taking part.
PubMed tags the participants as both men and women.
How the Study Was Run
The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.
Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got ACTH (Corticotropin) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.
As a double-blind ACTH (Corticotropin) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.
The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with ACTH (Corticotropin) could be set against what happens without it.
What Was Measured
The task involved feedback of videoclips of an individual performing the Trier Social Stress Test.
PubMed files the paper under topics including Alcoholism, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Feedback, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Psychological Tests and Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone.
What This Means in Plain Language
The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 39 individuals.
With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.
The publication is from 2023 (Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology), a journal based in England.
More context: the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page and the CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) compound page, all human trials.
Our Notes on the Compounds
ACTH (Corticotropin): The 39-amino-acid pituitary hormone that drives cortisol production; given as repository corticotropin (Acthar Gel).
CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone): The 41-amino-acid hypothalamic hormone that triggers ACTH release; corticorelin is used diagnostically.
Related Pages
Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.